Movie Review: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 好莱坞往事

Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood

Quentin Tarantino’s tribute to his love affair with Hollywood is depicted in this slice of life film following three characters around Hollywood in 1969: Washed up actor Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio), his stuntman Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) and actress Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie).

It’s filmed in a style very reminiscent of late 60s/early 70s Hollywood films. The film flows aimlessly around switching gears between the three storylines and the events leading up to the real life Manson Murders that took place in late 1969. True to form, Tarantino plays with history mixing real life events and characters with his own fictional characters (Dalton and Booth) to create a new timeline.

The film is gloriously shot by cinematographer Roger Deakins who gets the most out of every panoramic view and captures every closeup in just the right light. A particular favorite of mine are the scenes where Booth gives a hitchhiker a ride home to a dilapidated old film studio. It’s gorgeous and the use of natural light looks amazing.

My only criticisms of this film center around the depiction of Bruce Lee and the altered timeline that changes what really happened in 1969. I guess you have to remember that this is a work of fiction and we the audience are just along for the ride. All the real life characters are depicted somewhat comically except for Margot Robbie as Sharon Tate. Tarantino talked with the Tate family to make sure she was depicted tastefully in this film but the same cannot be said for other real life characters such as Lee and Roman Polanski.

DiCaprio and Pitt give great performances in this film. DiCaprio as an anxiety driven actor on the verge of a meltdown as his fame is fading is fun to watch. His scenes as a guest star on various TV shows and movies are very enjoyable but it’s those moments when anxiety gets the better of him that make for compelling viewing. I think I enjoyed Pitt’s turn more as a stuntman no-one wants to hire more unique and mesmerizing. Every scene Pitt is in he really comes across like a true movie star, very much like the late Steve McQueen (the actor, not the director) used to.

Margot Robbie’s performance as Sharon Tate is like catching a glimpse of a movie star in their private moments. It’s fascinating to watch but her presence really just serves to remind the audience of the eerie presence of the Manson followers - who lurk in and out of this movie - and of the evil that is yet to appear.

This film is a triumph for Tarantino as he really captures the scene like it was back in 1969. If you’re looking for a story driven plot, you won’t find this as satisfying as his earlier films. That’s intentional as it’s meant to come across as a snapshot of a favorite period of time that Tarantino remembers fondly. It’s a beautiful film that one is easily tempted to return to again and again.